The October issue of Current Magazine features a full-page article highlighting AADL's music tools collection, explaining how the collection has attracted interest from "musicians and teachers, students, parents and hobbyists," as well as the general public and mentioning that AADL offers access to these unique materials at no charge to library cardholders.

The article also relates the collection to AADL's mission to offer resources to the community through the use of traditional and innovative technologies and mentions our growing collections of games, home tools, art prints and telescopes.

This is a fantastic opportunity for people with Parkinson’s Disease and their families/care partners to explore music and movement in ways that are enjoyable, creative and stimulating. This program is modeled after the Mark Morris Dance Group and the Brooklyn Parkinson Group’s “Dance for PD” program. It is appropriate for anyone with PD, no matter how advanced, and no dance experience is required! It meets on Wednesday evenings, 6:30-7:30pm, Oct. 1-Nov 5 at Turner Senior Resource Center, 2401 Plymouth Rd. The Cost for the 6 week class is $30 per person/$50 per couple, and scholarships are available. Call 734-998-9350 to register.

If you’re looking for something fun and educational to do the weekend of Oct. 4-5, check out the Remodelers Home Tour, put on by the Builders and Remodelers Association of Greater Ann Arbor and the Washtenaw Remodelers Council. Hours are Saturday 11 am – 6 pm and Sunday noon – 6 pm; cost is $10 per adult. Here at the library we have lots of good information about remodeling.

Wednesday, September 24, AADL hosted two very prestigious visitors from Ghana. Nana Afia Adoma II, Queen of Antoa-Krobo in the Asnate Kingdom and Nana Kwadwo Nyantakyi III, Chief of the Treasury in the Asante Kingdom were at the Downtown Library discussing African culture.

They spoke, through a translator, about their customs and traditions, such as how their royal garments are made, sharing that garment patterns hold special meaning. It can take weeks to weave the cloth.

They also explained that drumming is an integral part of the culture and that drumming is used as a form of communication.

Here's a tip to help you start saving money on your energy and water bills. If you're a DTE DTE customer, you can receive a free, in-home assessment from them that provides you with items that can start saving you money on your utility bills pronto. In fact, you can borrow one of our energy meters to find out exactly which of your appliances or electronics are the energy-suckers. What sorts of items are provided by DTE, you ask? Up to 75 new compact fluorescent light bulbs in a variety of styles; water-saving faucet aerators & shower heads and the peace of mind that you are doing what you can to save the planet. And cash.

If you're interested in looking for a new position or want to learn more about branching out into a completely new sector, head down to the Morris Lawrence building at Washtenaw Community College. Starting this month, the WCC Career Services Department will be hosting a series of career fairs.

Upcoming career fairs are as follows:

Retail & Supply Chain: September 16th, 1-4 p.m.

I.T.: September 30th, 1-4 p.m.

Health Care: October 15th, 1-4 p.m.

Advanced Manufacturing: February 11th, 1-4 p.m.

Spring Fair: March 19th, 1-4 p.m.

Not a current student? No problem! Attendance and registration are free to all interested participants! Simply go to the website and create a registration account to learn more about events.

The judges want your feedback, which book should be the one that Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti reads? Read them and share your opinion by visiting the Finalist page, then click on the link that takes you to the book's page, and tell us what you think. Both titles are available for AADL cardholders to borrow. The Finalist will be selected in October.

This lecture will explore why parents and children tend to drift apart in the aftermath of divorce and will offer concrete suggestions for how parents can initiate meaningful conversations with their children so they can stay connected as they navigate the many challenges of divorce.

Joshua Ehrlich, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst who practices in Ann Arbor, has worked with hundreds of divorcing families. His book, Divorce and Loss: Helping Adults and Children Mourn When a Marriage Comes Apart, was published in May 2014.

This event is cosponsored by AADL and the University of Michigan Library.

The new Volunteer Center is now open at www.VolunteerWashtenaw.org! This virtual Volunteer Center will connect people interested in volunteering with local nonprofits that rely on volunteers to achieve their mission. More than 65 agencies have listed more than 160 needs and counting on the new site. The site will accommodate individuals as well as groups, and will be provided at no cost.

The new Volunteer Center website makes it easy for people to find opportunities to serve. At the new VolunteerWashtenaw.org, volunteers can:

·Search the volunteer needs by scrolling through the full list or you can narrow it down to suit your preferences; key word search, interest area categories (such as education or senior citizens), by court-ordered appropriate, activity type (such as construction or mentoring), one-time needs, ongoing needs, group opportunities, distance, date, and more.

·Explore agencies that are doing amazing work in our community, from human services to animals to the environment to the arts. Learn more about what they do, where they're located and what needs they have.

·Easily sign-up for volunteer opportunities online.

·Become a fan of agencies or update interests in their profiles to receive notifications of new volunteer needs.

·Invite and register a group for a volunteer opportunity.

·Log volunteer hours to keep track of work for school or civic resume

·Share opportunities via email or social media at the click of a button.

Featured Events

Detecting Moods in Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder can be a difficult condition to manage with unstable and unpredictable mood swings ranging from extremely high mania to devastatingly low depression. The key to managing bipolarity is in preventing and lessening the vast range of possible mood swings and providing support in order to live a stable life. In this month’s Bright Nights Community Forum, Dr. Melvin McInnis will discuss new research in monitoring and predicting moods in bipolar disorder using speech acoustics. The presentation will begin at 7 pm on Tuesday, March 31 in the Downtown Library and will be followed by a panel discussion and plenty of time for questions and answers.

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